If they ever wrote a book called "Heroes of Determination,” Ellen would be on the cover. Quite frankly, nothing got in her way. If it did, Ellen either went around it, burrowed under it, crawled over it, or plowed right through it. When the going got tough and the weak got going, Ellen just rolled up her sleeves, dug in her heels, and went for the goal. And let bystanders beware!
But her mastery of stick-to-itiveness didn’t come easy. Like most lasting things in life—you know, those things worth keeping—Ellen had to learn the hard way. And when I say hard, I mean rock bottom, everybody duck, look out—here it comes—hard.
By the look of her, Ellen did not seem like much. Frail from birth and tiny, the young girl seemed to have a nervous twitch all the time. She often stuttered when she spoke. To top it off, Ellen just plain didn’t know how to dress. When the girls in school dressed up for a party, Ellen wore blue jeans and tennis shoes. And when her friends went to the pool in their swimsuits, Ellen always wore a sweat suit.
“She looks ridiculous,” they would whisper behind her back.
“That girl will never amount to anything,” others would say, shaking their heads in disbelief at how out of place Ellen always appeared.
But Ellen had one special gift, secret in the beginning but understood by all later on, that would distinguish her from the rest of the pack. A special gift that when thinking about it today, made all of her other "faults" unimportant.
Simply put, Ellen never gave up. That strangely dressed, nervous-looking, stuttering girl so many ridiculed had a will of pure iron when it came to getting things done.
Oh, yes, she heard the negative comments people made about her, but she only took pride in ignoring them and accomplishing the goals she set out for herself. Whenever the insults began, Ellen would think to herself, “Whatever does not kill you can only make you stronger.”
And so it was during her school years. While her friends were concerned with the latest fad in dress or which celebrity was doing what with whom, Ellen was focused on getting good grades, helping her parents around the house, and doing community service work. She never gave up on her goals, even when it seemed all of the kids were turning on her.
You know what? Since some of her community work was reading to little kids at the library, Ellen soon stopped stuttering with all the practice in speaking and pronouncing clearly. Her good grades and her close relationship with her parents gave her self-confidence, and she stopped being nervous. She began to notice, through sheer intelligence, what clothes looked good on her and when to wear them. Instead of seeming small and frail, Ellen now looked petite and pretty. She was blossoming in every way.
The kids began to notice all this. Where once they had made fun of her, now they started to admire her. Sometimes kids who were being made fun of would turn to Ellen for help.
They’d ask her, “How did you ignore so much—the insults and the put-downs—and still accomplish so much?”
To which Ellen would reply with a twinkle in her eye, “Never stray too far from the jungle path—you never know what’s out there.”
"What do you mean by that?" they asked.
"I mean, focus on your goals and never give up!" said Ellen.
Questions for reflection
1. Do you think Ellen was proud of her gift of determination? Why or why not?
2. Was there a time in your life when you did not give up? Explain.
3. How difficult is it to block insults and put-downs and still focus on the goal? What would you have done in a situation like Ellen’s?
4. Are you a good judge of character? If you met Ellen, what would your first reaction have been towards her?
5. Tell about a time that you “gave up,” when you stopped trying to make a goal. How did that make you feel? Did you try later to accomplish the same goal?
6. Can you name some people who have become famous for not giving up? Do they have anything in common?
Exercise Think of some goal you really want to accomplish. Then imagine five obstacles (things that could get in the way) that might prevent you from achieving it. Finally, tell what you would do to overcome each obstacle.
Ellen's story
Table of Contents
But her mastery of stick-to-itiveness didn’t come easy. Like most lasting things in life—you know, those things worth keeping—Ellen had to learn the hard way. And when I say hard, I mean rock bottom, everybody duck, look out—here it comes—hard.
By the look of her, Ellen did not seem like much. Frail from birth and tiny, the young girl seemed to have a nervous twitch all the time. She often stuttered when she spoke. To top it off, Ellen just plain didn’t know how to dress. When the girls in school dressed up for a party, Ellen wore blue jeans and tennis shoes. And when her friends went to the pool in their swimsuits, Ellen always wore a sweat suit.
“She looks ridiculous,” they would whisper behind her back.
“That girl will never amount to anything,” others would say, shaking their heads in disbelief at how out of place Ellen always appeared.
But Ellen had one special gift, secret in the beginning but understood by all later on, that would distinguish her from the rest of the pack. A special gift that when thinking about it today, made all of her other "faults" unimportant.
Simply put, Ellen never gave up. That strangely dressed, nervous-looking, stuttering girl so many ridiculed had a will of pure iron when it came to getting things done.
Oh, yes, she heard the negative comments people made about her, but she only took pride in ignoring them and accomplishing the goals she set out for herself. Whenever the insults began, Ellen would think to herself, “Whatever does not kill you can only make you stronger.”
And so it was during her school years. While her friends were concerned with the latest fad in dress or which celebrity was doing what with whom, Ellen was focused on getting good grades, helping her parents around the house, and doing community service work. She never gave up on her goals, even when it seemed all of the kids were turning on her.
You know what? Since some of her community work was reading to little kids at the library, Ellen soon stopped stuttering with all the practice in speaking and pronouncing clearly. Her good grades and her close relationship with her parents gave her self-confidence, and she stopped being nervous. She began to notice, through sheer intelligence, what clothes looked good on her and when to wear them. Instead of seeming small and frail, Ellen now looked petite and pretty. She was blossoming in every way.
The kids began to notice all this. Where once they had made fun of her, now they started to admire her. Sometimes kids who were being made fun of would turn to Ellen for help.
They’d ask her, “How did you ignore so much—the insults and the put-downs—and still accomplish so much?”
To which Ellen would reply with a twinkle in her eye, “Never stray too far from the jungle path—you never know what’s out there.”
"What do you mean by that?" they asked.
"I mean, focus on your goals and never give up!" said Ellen.
Questions for reflection
1. Do you think Ellen was proud of her gift of determination? Why or why not?
2. Was there a time in your life when you did not give up? Explain.
3. How difficult is it to block insults and put-downs and still focus on the goal? What would you have done in a situation like Ellen’s?
4. Are you a good judge of character? If you met Ellen, what would your first reaction have been towards her?
5. Tell about a time that you “gave up,” when you stopped trying to make a goal. How did that make you feel? Did you try later to accomplish the same goal?
6. Can you name some people who have become famous for not giving up? Do they have anything in common?
ExerciseThink of some goal you really want to accomplish. Then imagine five obstacles (things that could get in the way) that might prevent you from achieving it. Finally, tell what you would do to overcome each obstacle.
Goal to accomplish:
Five obstacles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How to overcome each obstacle:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.